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Sort of like nicotine. I don't think we would have made the transition to desk work as easily as we did without it. I'm pretty sure the US space program depen
by 01100011 6y ago
Sort of like nicotine. I don't think we would have made the transition to desk work as easily as we did without it. I'm pretty sure the US space program depended on it.
- aetherspawn 6y agoObserving general productivity of nicotine users: I'm surprised they managed to build a spaceship at all. The engineers of old were very different engineers than today.
- NikolaeVarius 6y agoThey smoked indoors back then
- MathCodeLove 6y agoInteresting observation. I think it could be argued that the average nicotine user today us a dramatically different kind of person than they were then. During the time frame that the user you replied to was referencing, nicotine consumption was the norm. Now, with the extensive change in societal perspective that nicotine consumption has undergone, those who still use gravitate towards the uneducated and less successful.
- jacobush 6y agoSo were the deadlines and incentives. Global thermonuclear war, anyone?
- whiddershins 6y agoBecause they have to go outside to smoke?
- phist_mcgee 6y agoReal engineers smoke a pack of Marlboros a day.
- ineedasername 6y agoMarlboros? Those are for interns. The real work was done by those smoking unfiltered Lucky Strikes.
- mech422 6y agoCamel Straights... Two Humps!
- not_really 6y agoSounds like you just don't like nicotine users, and your observation is a little biased. I've worked with smokers and non-smokers, both unproductive and productive alike. I would venture to say that a metric like social media use has a higher correlation with lack of productivity, wouldn't you?
- stagas 6y agoSmoking is also a natural Pomodoro technique, you take the necessary breaks for smoking so that keeps you going more.
- noir_lord 6y agoNow. Back then you could smoke at your desk. Which was unfortunate for the non-smokers.
- ComputerGuru 6y agoOnly now. In the seventies, you’d light one up at your desk and continue powering through your work.
- nine_k 6y agoI suppose amphetamine was also more accessible then.
- nine_k 6y agoBTW if nicotine were such a powerful mental booster, nicotine patches would be vastly more popular. They provide all the upsides of nicotine without any of the downsides of smoking (harmful byproducts of burning, the smell, the need to go outside, etc). I still think something else keeps smokers smoking: the taste, the ritual, looking cool, etc.
- hnick 6y agoDo they though? I've wondered this before as a non-smoker. I assume patches are slow release but smoking provides a bigger hit all at once. Sometimes that's important, both in terms of impact and building tolerance.
- weerd 6y agoThe downside of patches is the slow release. Smoking is instantaneous.
- keeganpoppen 6y agouhhh i don't know if you've noticed, but Juuls sure seem pretty popular right now...
- AngryData 6y agoNicotine without smoke is still not a great thing to consume and has it's own negative effects such are arterial hardening leading to increased heart attacks and strokes. While it is far better than smoking, it still known to cause long term health problems. Getting the stimulating effects of nicotine also takes fairly sensitive portion control. Too little and it is not going to stimulate, too much and you will want to barf for the next 45+ minutes.
- watertom 6y agoPsychology of habit plays into this.
- deleted 6y ago[deleted]